Occupations are activities one engages in during daily life - what people spend their time and energy doing. Occupations reflect and support one’s interests and skills, and they help us as humans meet our individual needs and desires.  Occupational pursuits develop roles and routines within a cultural context that give a person a sense of identity and life meaning. Participation in occupations is central to a person’s health, sense of well-being and life satisfaction.   

     Occupation-based practice (OBP) reflects the foundational values of the occupational therapy profession and the academic discipline of occupational science, and is congruent with AOTA’s Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (AOTA, 2008).  It is true occupational therapy practice.  The goal of OBP is to improve the satisfaction and capacity of individuals, groups, and society, for engaging in desired occupations where and when they naturally occur.  Such engagement enhances valued roles, positively influences overall health and quality of life, and assists in developing and reaffirming the identity of individuals or groups. Occupational engagement may be supported or hindered by a person’s motivation and body functions, performance skills and patterns, demands of the occupation, and physical, social, cultural, and economic environments.